20b

• Board Meeting Date: 9/18/2007
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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the Kansas v Colorado litigation, and need to be carried to completion. In the longer term
lysimeter research will be useful to water users in the basin as more accurate assessments of
consumptive use and crop water needs can be used to better manage basin water supplies. Staff
will work with the State's attorneys, DWR and CSU to evaluate long-termlysimeter funding
needs and opportunities and may come back to the Board with a recommendation that an
additional amount from the litigation account be authorized for this purpose.

ARKANSAS RIVER COMPACT ADMINISTRATION (ARCA): Staff continues to work on
the Ten Year Review of the Trinidad Project, the LA WMA-DOW proposal to use Keesee Ditch
rights as a new water supply to the John Martin Reservoir permanent pool, and completion of a
transit loss study for the river reach between John Martin and the Stateline. Staff is beginning to
prepare for the 2007 ARCA Annual Meeting to be held in Lamar on Tuesday December 11,
2007. The Board's new Director will need to be formally appointed to ARCA by the Governor
and to be prepared for the role of lead of Colorado's ARCA representatives prior to this meeting.

FOUNTAIN CREEK: Fountain Creek is a major tributary of the Arkansas River Basin,
draining the Pikes Peak region, mnning through Colorado Springs, and joining the Arkansas just
east of downtown Pueblo. Over the last decade several prominent issues surrounding the
Fountain have generated much controversy and finger-pointing:
. severe flooding in 1999 that caused damages in Pueblo and on the Arkansas mainstem in
the LaJunta area
. channel erosion and instability leading to loss of land adjacent to the stream during the
1999 event, and several others of lesser magnitude
. sediment transport related to erosion which has contributed to stream aggradation in the
Fountain and the Arkansas at and below Pueblo
. water quality concerns including elevated selenium loads and high bacterial counts
during high flow events, at least anecdotally related to several sewage overflow incidents
in Colorado Springs
Good background on these issues is available from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
at the following link: http://www.fountain-crk.org

Numerous studies and activities have been commenced during this 10 year period in an effort to
better understand the processes causing these problems and to suggest remedies. Major research
activities in progress include: the US Army Corps of Engineers Watershed Study, a general
investigation level project; and the recently completed transit loss study done in cooperation with
the USGS, Colorado Springs, the EI Paso County Water Authority, the CWCB, and Div. 2 of the
DWR. The transit loss study will enable better administration of return flows along the Fountain
and the potential for exchanges to water short areas of northern EI Paso County. A matrix
showing some 20 ongoing or recently completed activities related to Fountain Creek is available
at the following link:
http://www.fountain-
crk. org/W atershed%20Vision%20Task%20F orce/rev%20proi ect%20matrix%20feb%2007. pdf
The Board has contributed technical and financial assistance to some of these activities, but to
date has not asserted a strong coordination role, nor have we actively paIiicipated to asseIi the
State's interest in assuring compliance with the Arkansas River Compact. Beyond these studies
there are several projects with either federal legislation and/or NEP A activities under way that
raise Fountain Creek issues and are generating their own studies, including:

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Finance. Sn-eam and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning